The graffiti vandal who took responsibility for painting the words "tastes like hate" on the back of a Torrance Chick-fil-A has been arrested, police said Thursday.

Manuel Castro, 30, was taken into custody about 7 p.m. Wednesday on suspicion of vandalism after Torrance police detectives found him in West Hollywood, police said.

"He was cooperative," said Torrance police Sgt. Steven Jenkinson, a department spokesman. "There was no issue with his arrest."

Castro posted $20,000 bail and was released from the city jail at 11:18 p.m., records show.

A news release said detectives are "still actively investigating the incident" and working to identify another person of interest who may have been involved.

The message painted in black letters appeared last Friday at the eatery near Hawthorne Boulevard and 182nd Street as the fast-food chain prepared for protests nationwide over its president's stance on gay marriage. It was accompanied by a picture of a cow holding a paintbrush, which is borrowed from the company's marketing campaign.

Later that afternoon, Castro, a West Hollywood resident, took responsibility in an interview with The Huffington Post.

"Everybody is entitled to free speech, but it seems like for the gay tribe, this is more of an issue of equal rights - human rights," he said. "I'm against what these people stand for, what this company stands for. They're trying to take away what little rights we already have."

Torrance police investigators said that after they were made aware of the interview posted online, they worked to independently identify Castro as a suspect by corroborating his involvement in the vandalism through evidence and other information from their investigation.

Torrance detectives then conferred with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, where the case will be brought for initial review.

When Castro spoke out about the incident, some defended him for taking a stand while others criticized him and called him a vandal.

"What he actually did was vandalism, a crime," David Schafer wrote in an email to the Daily Breeze. "He should be arrested immediately, punished, and made to pay restitution."

Castro further clarified his intentions in a message this week to the Huffington Post, saying the painting "was not born out of hate. It was born out of frustration. It was meant to further a discussion about tolerance and acceptance."

He also said that he is a "proud Christian" who subscribes to the verse, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

He continued: "I am happy to pay for the costs of repainting the wall, but I am not - nor will I ever be - happy to sit quietly at the back of the bus."